The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-08-12

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vor of early training.
| Every thing in church was so new
and strange, they sat almost motion
lsss and in open-eyed wonder during
the first part of the service, and was
congratulating myself upon finding
one place where | could rest, when they
| slipped from the seat to some hassocks,
and Julia whispered: 1.-The little angels
are so tired =
DIR. B was trying to elucidate a
/ scientific ploblenl, and | was wonder
| ing how many of the congregation
were asleep, when familiar odor
reached my nostrils. ] glanced at my
wife, and saw that my sense of
smell had not deceived me, and with
mothers intuition she had discovered
the culprits. Those little wretches had
cigars. and Alphonse had evidently
lighted one and taken d Whit, while
Del was chewing the other. I'll not
attempt to tell you how we got the
nauseated children home, or how hard
tried to convince my wife that /
hadn't smoked since / could not say
how long, and that those matches and
cigars that Alph had purloined from
my overcoat that was lying on the pew
seat must have been put there by some
other fellow. ] soon felt that it was
useless to talk, for even if could have
proved it she would have deduced from
the occurrence an argument in favor of
heredity just the same, for / could not
deny that had been somewhat addict
ed to the use of the delectable weed
Monday / went about my business,
feeling sure the limp-looking and
white-faced boys wouldn't get far from
home that day, and was somewhat sur
prised to hear my wife's distracted
call: us it you, John?" and answered,
rather impatiently: Eyes, it's john"
and felt a little inclined to curse the
telephone inventor, when she said:
"Have you seen the boysP' mo;
and don't want to- was my savage
| q nsWe1.
An hour later there was another call,
and somebody said: Smith, the baby
is lost, and your wife is nearly frantic"
Those boys of mine had completely
demolished my wheel some weeks
before, and had not replaced it; but
Jameson, clerk who is about my build,
kindly let me his, and ! rolled away
! like a boy on race-course.
Doors wide open; not person about
the premises; even the dog missing.
A ringing Of the telephone bell was a
momentary relief, but when / listened
to the voice of the city marshal, and
learned that several of the police force
were securing the city for my children,
and my wife was in commissions at the
station" where she went thinking
that some one must have found and re-
ported her babies, | tore my hair-or
rather / tore through the street at
John Gilpin gait. with such grave
responsibilities upon me l must ad here
to the strict truth; hyperbole, even met
aphor, shall be strictly avoided.) Poor
Julial Mary had taken the baby out for
an airing, and leaving her for one mo-
ment to speak to a friend, returned
Immediately, she says, to find neither
baby nor carriage.
The girl came home nearly wild, and
my wife was quite so; she had just
missed the boys, and telephoned to me,
ito get my cruel answer The whole
neighborhood was aroused in vain,
and then my wife herself went to the
police station, Mary accompanying
her and assuring her that livery day
the place was full of children who got
thimsilyes lost The disappointment
was too much, and she swooned.
We telegraphed and we telephoned
here, there, and everywhere where
there was the least possible chance of
hearing from them. Some one said
there was gypsy camp just outside the
city. and nothing would pacify my wife
save to send posse of policemen there
to find her ''little Kathie whom they had
stolen" Suddenly it Numbered and
lightened, rain fell in torrents, and the
little children were-where? oh, wherep
1t would be impossible for one who has
not had the experience to conceive of
the misery caused by those little
| scamps.
Drenched to the skin as was, my
wife, who had recovered consciousness,
threw herself into my arms and cried:
'John! oh, John! our babes are dead"
and deafening, crashing roar, that
followed flash of light that nearly
blinded me, drowned the rest of her
plaintive cry, and the next moment l
had pallid face on my shoulder and
helpless form in my arms. She soon
revived, however, and mother-love and
courage overpowered the sentiments
that predominated at sight of me and
a knowledge of the terrific storm.
Reason and Judgment and my most
persuasive powers combined induced
her to remain where she was till the
severe but short shower was over and
a carriage could be brought to take her
home, where l assured her, would
certainly bring the children in very
short time.
I'll not attempt to tell how we sur
vived the horrors of the next few
hours. The afternoon did pass, but /
looked in the glass the next morning.
surprised to see my hair as black as a
crows wing, and gazed upon my fam
lily, and wondered if it were all
hideous nightmare.
At about eight o'clock in the even
ing returned to the house, as had at
intervals, just as team dashed to the
door, and cries of "Papar' "Papam
reached my ears. clasped the two
boys to my heart, and for a moment
forgot all else. The familiar cry had
reached my wife, and all four of us
were in seemingly inextricable heap.
Suddenly she cried: my Kathie! my